Reaching the Reader's Mind: George David Gopen's Reader Expectation Approach to Writing in the English Language
Welcome to Dr. George David Gopen’s self-paced online writing course designed for professionals whose success depends upon writing clearly. Gopen's Reader Expectation Approach (REA) is an essential framework for those producing complex prose in high-stakes professions such as science, law, and policy. Instead of grammar and style rules, the REA structural framework teaches writers where readers will look for critical pieces of information. When writers place this information in the locations readers expect to find it, readers experience less confusion and fatigue that can lead to misinterpretation. The validity of REA has been corroborated in peer-reviewed research in cognitive psychology and psycholinguistics. Visit GeorgeGopen.com to explore the scientific studies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I know about prerequisites?
The E-Learning Series has no prerequisites. It is appropriate for writers at any level and in any field. Learners can use the first seven episodes of this series to prepare for one of Dr. Gopen's live Three-person Workshop Tutorials where they receive a personal writing analysis. Visit GeorgeGopen.com to learn more about these workshops.
What happens when I check out?
After check out, learners will create an account which can be used to access the series online. The series is available to one account holder at a time. Each learner has one full year to complete the course.
What are the best options for multiple learners?
Organizations with multiple learners are encouraged to enroll each individual with their own account. For groups larger than 30, in-person training is more cost effective. Visit GeorgeGopen.com to schedule a live seminar or discuss more training options.
What Clients Are Saying
After forty-five years of developing and teaching the Reader Expectation Approach (REA), George David Gopen has delivered trainings at 225 leading organizations representing tens of thousands of professionals. His clients report publishing success, courtroom victories, and competitive grant applications.
“One of the most valuable twelve hours I have ever spent.”
Associate Professor Emeritus of Neurobiology, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences
“Scientific Writing From the Reader’s Perspective, taught by Professor George Gopen, is the single most highly rated faculty development program offered at Indiana University."
Executive Vice Dean Emeritus at Indiana University & Former Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Leadership Development at University of North Carolina
“George gave me my life, my career, my future. He gave me my dreams. I owe him everything.”
Ruth Ziegler Chair in Population Sciences, City of Hope Cancer Center, former advisor to the National Institutes of Health
"While I’m confident that my science is worth funding, I truly believe that implementing [Gopen's] approaches to clearly communicate the worth and value of this science to my reviewers has been crucial to my success so far.”
Assistant Professor, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
"The empirical test, which I demand as a scientist, is that I would show it to people before and after and they were able to follow it much more clearly when I used the Gopen method of taking your sentence and putting things where the reader expects.”
Professor of Biology, Duke University
“Aside from my scientific mentors, I cannot think of anyone who has had a greater impact on my career than George Gopen. He has fundamentally changed how I write, enabling me to communicate complex concepts clearly."
Professor, Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center
“I am a professional writer by default — and [Dr. Gopen's] training has changed my approach to writing, forever.”
Associate Dean of Research, Jefferson College of Health Professions, Thomas Jefferson University
“Scientific Writing From the Reader’s Perspective, taught by Professor George Gopen, is the single most highly rated faculty development program offered at Indiana University."
Executive Vice Dean Emeritus at Indiana University & Former Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Leadership Development at University of North Carolina
"While I’m confident that my science is worth funding, I truly believe that implementing [Gopen's] approaches to clearly communicate the worth and value of this science to my reviewers has been crucial to my success so far.”
Assistant Professor, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
“Aside from my scientific mentors, I cannot think of anyone who has had a greater impact on my career than George Gopen. He has fundamentally changed how I write, enabling me to communicate complex concepts clearly."
Professor, Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center
“One of the most valuable twelve hours I have ever spent.”
Associate Professor Emeritus of Neurobiology, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences
“George gave me my life, my career, my future. He gave me my dreams. I owe him everything.”
Ruth Ziegler Chair in Population Sciences, City of Hope Cancer Center, former advisor to the National Institutes of Health
"The empirical test, which I demand as a scientist, is that I would show it to people before and after and they were able to follow it much more clearly when I used the Gopen method of taking your sentence and putting things where the reader expects.”
Professor of Biology, Duke University
“I am a professional writer by default — and [Dr. Gopen's] training has changed my approach to writing, forever.”
Associate Dean of Research, Jefferson College of Health Professions, Thomas Jefferson University
About George David Gopen
George David Gopen, JD, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of the Practice of Rhetoric at Duke University. He is widely recognized as the creator of the Reader Expectation Approach (REA) to Writing in the English Language. Dr. Gopen introduced his REA framework through an influential 1990 article, “The Science of Scientific Writing,” co-authored with Judith A. Swan and published in American Scientist. The article has been independently reprinted and taught at universities worldwide for 35 years. His expanded and updated book version, The New Science of Scientific Writing, is available in English and will publish in 17 additional languages within the year. He has published a total 80 articles and six books on REA with five more books set for release through Anthem Press, London. In 2011, Dr. Gopen received a lifetime achievement award from the Legal Writing Institute, for his contributions to the profession. His client roster of 225 organizations represents tens of thousands of professionals worldwide and can be downloaded from GeorgeGopen.com.
Can you really afford to be misunderstood?
Learn to use Reader Expectations and transform your complex expertise into writing that wins funding, cases, and decisions. Start learning today.
$600.00